Pistols MR2 stories... MK1 and 2zz MK3

[Magic Beans]

And what a thing it is! The only car I've driven that goes around a roundabout anywhere close to how the Busa used to! It's brilliant!

[Magic Beans]

Don't you have something to share with the group, Pete?

[pistol pete]

errr... not a lot really . just an update that im driving it
I do need to do an update...

Oh the other one.. yeah forgot about that

[pistol pete]

Well i suppose i had better update this.
sorry its been a while, i haven't done a great deal to the car except use it, i do seem to have many photos, so apologies

1st off, I love it on the road. I love everytime I drive it, and each thing i do is just making it that little bit better

So where we left off, the cage was coming out and i was driving a Leon every day


Got the leon looking exactly how i wanted..

I then started driving the MR2 everyday, never touched the leon (it was more uneconomical than the mr2). so i sold it

Because the MR was going back on the road, and i wanted others to drive it, i did not want to run harness and bucket seats. I wanted some "fast road" type seats, but budget etc i was just going to stick the old red edition seats back in.
The corbeau's were up for sale, and i had a guy contact me who wanted some bucket seats in his mr2, wanted to know if i wanted to swap for a set of Recaros SR2's in immaculate condition, which had mk3 mr2 runners and brackets already fitted.
Couldn't really say no to that, especially when i find out the car was at my mates garage JDT tuning, about 5 miles from me. The guy worked a lot so i just popped up there and swapped them over for him.
while there i redone all his harness properly for him



a quick test fit of the new seats in mine



I was very happy

We then went off on holiday, which included a stop off at haynes motor museum. I still love a viper



Of course the MK1 shot


when home it became to go all out, stipping down the silver one, to make way for putting all the parts into the 2zz




I had to chop out the old cage mounts before i could start re-installing the interior, seats wouldn't go back with mounts there, and roof wouldn't lower if i left them in





All got a coat of paint for protection

starting to come back together



Roof back on, no more hard top. I doubt i'll ever put it back on, i use the soft top all the time



All back together and read for the road



the stock steering wheel is badly worn, so i have stuck with the Kode one for now and will address this later. It does need changing as it is too small to see all of the dials (was ok with the super low race seat), but now i cannot see over 30mph or 4k rpm

First time out was to go get fuel, this was during the fuel shortage, so the only place to get fuel was super expensive motorway service station
You will notice at this point the originally black/bronze wheels are back on. I have fitted the only road tyres that come in this size. the new Toyo TR1's defo not my first choice, but the only one available in 225/50/15, i have driven a lot of miles on these now in all conditions and they are a huge step up from the previous t1r's



on the front bumper I still had to the tow hook (and i did not have the bumper cover if i removed it)
After hitting my shin on it too many times, i decided to do something about it
I go the spare tow hook from the silver one, tapped in out to m12 coarse thread and fitted with tow strap and high tensile bold, then the whole thing got threaded into the car
not to everyones cup of tea, but i like it






car park shot



even using the drinks holder, this was a really good milkshake



since started to then tidy up the body work. especially as i had a show coming up with the MR2DC



Dish



first long drive out was to the show in Eastbourne with Daisy, about an hour half from me, this is firsts long road run since i built the car, and it was faultless, but i knew it would be as by now i am actually using the car every day for work
I found the seats really comfy, the 6 paddle clutch works reasonably well on the road, the suspension on full soft works and the toyo's seems to handle most conditions with the softer sidewall helps



it was a small Classic show, but the car still got a lot of attention






I am not great at words as some people are with the updates, so i tend to just add a few notes next to the pictures , but if you want any more Info on anything particular, please ask
Continuing from the last post

Next up for May school holidays me and Daisy went to Scotland as a driving holiday covering 1798 miles in 8 days
Starting from south coast , Edinburgh, Inverness, Ullapool, Thurso, Loch ness, South Coast.

I could do a huge write up on that holiday alone, but i won't, just know It's amazing. you need to go, pictures do not do it justice. this is the second time I have gone, I will be going back.
We went in Jackie's Scirocco, and it was the perfect car for the trip, comfy and quiet on the long motorway journeys, and a hoon when I wanted it to be
I almost took the MR2, but I believed the coolant was a playing, so i even changed the Rad, but after a got back from holiday i turned out it was all fine, i was just being paranoid, also the extra room in the scirocco was much welcome'd
Couple of pics from the trip








Yes it was amazing, and Yes go do it! Next year me and Daisy are going to America after she finishes her GSCE's

so back home, i was excited to see my MR2 again



At a local car meet a giant American tank parked up next to me, the MR2 looked tiny




For Daisy's Birthday we went to American Speed fest. There were plenty of her dream cars floating around (HellCat)
One was on sporting bears, where you pay to charity to go out for a ride, so we went in a tweaked one running around 940hp and no silences. It was a beast



for some time after that I just carried on driving the MR2 everyday with no issues, and enjoyed every moment!

The looks of the car were not starting to annoy me. I want it to keep its "trackcar" look and some of its battle scars as it is part of the car's history, but some bits were annoying me. The front arches didn't sit right and made the front wheel looked tucked far to much, the engine lid had loads of dents from where me and Ben removed the original TTE spoiler badly and the front wing being a different colour. The rear arch needs replacing due to rust and laquer peel, but finding one seems to be pretty hard.

First to sort was the front arch
here you can see the issue, not a good finish at all, fine on track but annoying me daily now



Mocked up where I wanted them to sit,


I was pleased with the fit and look, the wheel fitment looked a lot better. I went ahead a done both fronts
With moving the arches, changing engine lid, front wing the decals had to come off otherwise I would have some panels with, some without. I also wanted the original side skirts back on the car, so have fitted them back up too




due to the rising costs of fuel, we had bought kel a blue motion golf, I also fancied something eco for battering to and from work (40 mile a day), and no use towing we let Landy go
This was a sad day



I picked myself up a TdiE (1,9) a3, same car as kels just a different frock which returns some pretty amazing MPG to just go to work and back. a lot of car for £2500
This then leaves the MR2 to basically do everything else,. It still gets used every single day




I wanted to finish getting the silver MR2 stripped down, as I had someone after the gearbox (this fell through and I still have it)
It was going to scrap, but something has happened means i will be holding onto it for the metal....





Back to the 2zz. The ECU had been left unprotected because i had needed access to it
One of those issues was a very bad idle and terrible cold start since fitting the new engine
Luckily RRR engineering are able to connect to the car via my laptop and the magic of the internet. They then found the cam sensor was noisy, a filter was adding in the ECU program which sorted the idle. The cold start they added some fuel, this is because it is a different engine since the last time it was mapped (I do need to get it on the rollers at some point, but it is a closed loop fueling so adjusts as required)
With this al sorted I decided to protect the ECU and wiring, that way i could use the huge luggage area again
Simple but effective



Foxy also kept getting hit and moving about the car, so his harness (cable ties) was refitted and the ECU data logger was homed



next up was the steering wheel, i was getting annoyed with the airbag light being on, not being able to see the temp/oil/rev counter.
Here is the very sorry looking Red edition



This then got sent off to Brother Custom Steering Wheels..

Due to lockdown and life. It had been too long since i had seen my friends, I also wanted to do a decent road trip in the MR2. All my good friends have come from the MR2 works and racing. First stop was Wallingford to see Ben. It had been far too long, him being a full time Dad now he is a busy man, but it is well worth it, the boys are amazing and looking forward to seeing the grow! Ben also had a little drive in the 2zz
We went out in "our" mainly Bens new track car. as the RX8 had at long last died.
So we went playing round Abingdon in this



It's called the OMG also known as "the wrong Honda"






Amazing couple of days and great to catch up. Next up was up to Mansfield to Phil (Magic Beans)

On the way i had to stop for a quick apple juice at Caffeine and Machine






At Phils, we done many works on his cars, One was collecting the wheels for his 1.5 and getting the SW20 back together

A happy Phil, seems to be very excited to be holding a Yankee candle


Beastie Mk1.5



I let Phil drive the 2zz, he had been in it on track as a passenger. I never used to let anyone drive my cars, but i love this car so much i want others to enjoy and see why i love it.. I believe he did love it



I am sure Phil's pictures are better but a few from our drive out






You will spot here a guy chatting to Phil about his car (guy was parked up in a zafira GSi). Phil witnessed first hand the hate (seems like a strong word) my car gets most places it goes. It isn't from it's looks, its from it being a mk3 mr2.. "oh yeah I hate them, the look gauky, its too slow, doesn't drive well." You wouldn't believe how much I get this. The guy with a gsi just told Phil he loved his mk1 but the mk3 is just S**t
Luckily I love my car and just do not care, and it is there loss the mk3 is a brilliant little car




Adrienne's go next (Phil's missus) this gave me a chance to see the car being driven from the outside (first time), I really love the way it looks on the road, so different from everything else





A happy Phil in the MK1



Next up was down to Cambridge to see Andy (old Fensport mechanic and a good friend) with his 2zz powered Yaris which is a hoot!, and his 400hp celica GT4



And finally, for you long term IMOC'ers stopped to see Chr15py and Chizzle



Home after that, the MR2 was faultless again except for my ally engine cover snapped causing it to rattle, so that got removed



made a new one out of stainless and painted black, this has to be fitted otherwise the rain falls onto the coils and knackers them pretty quickly, i will find a better solution one day



Looking at them pics, reminds me the other bits i did, I removed the lithium battery and refitted a battery in the original location, the Ram air fits nicely behind it, Also had to refit rear numberplate lights

I have now started stripping down my daughters mini ready for Paint



The scirocco had been running badly, at a cost of 600£ to get it carbon cleaned i did it my self. Everyone who says VW are hard to work on have never worked on a MR2





Went for a very early Kent run with the Pistonheads guys, this was a lot of fun and the MR2 did very well



A large pallet arrived from J-Spec, Front wing, engine lid, front head light a couple other small tidy up bits, there was also a new rear quarter, send to see if it was better than mu current one. It wasn't unfortunately so hunt continues




Random pic with my brother softtop TT.



Time to do some more bodywork tidying
Ben had bought me for my birthday last year my old rear wing. If you look back through this thread, you will see it started on my yellow mk3. I thought it went in the end with the RX8, but ben being the darling he is went and purchased it back off the guy! very pleased to get rid of the dodgy badly fitted ebay wing
Carbon wing fitted to new engine lid, the hard top catches removed, and a coat of lacquer on the rear quarter to stop it peeling any worse
you can see from the last picture how well used the car is





Lastly is the front wing and head light, it is still a little bent behind there, but it all goes back together okay, and cleaned up both headlights with some light sanding (1000grit the 3000 grit) and then polish







Pleased with how its looking now, i went to the Hazard morning meet Sunday, this Sunday another classic show with the DC, then really looking forward to GOJapan, on the JDT stand, if you see me come say hi



Got a call today that the steering wheel is finished, should be with me Friday, Hopefully can get it refitted before Sunday's show
Flat bottom, for added leg room
Alcantara top and bottom, with red stitching and red bad
Perforated leather and thumb grips on the side whole thing is thicker too. Cannot wait to get it on




okay I think I am done now

[pistol pete]

Oh.. No I am not

So.. On pistonheads, they have a "where is it now" thread, people wondering where their old cars are. I have had sooo many cars. but there is always one i keep looking up on the MOt history checker

You can see where this is going can't you

I kept looking for E39 NEX. My very first MR2 back in 2002. the one that started my love for MR2s led on to meeting a lot of life long friends, and shaped a lot of what was to come for me. Unfortunely the car has been off the road since 2014
So any hope of seeing it again was very small

Back in the day..




that is my now wife walking in front of the car, me to the side, Steve kingsnorth's Super edition and Dave Price D:Class mK1






I did a lot to that car and a lot of shows.
i had the wheels and tyres fitted
Arches done
Gearknob
Magnex exhuast
changed the whole interior from Blue to black.

So i put in said Pistonheads thread I would love to know where E39 NEX is.
Nothing for a very long time, never expected to hear anything. then one day Ben dropped me a screen shot. Someone had replied. "how much do you want it"
I replied, just asking where is it, condition etc. then nothing for a while, decided it must have just been an internet troll.
But then, he replied say he had purchased two to repair, and this was one of them. He was unsure how to work forums, and that was kinda it.

So i decided to go social media stalking. I eventually found him on a Friday evening and we got chasing on facebook messenger.
He had already started some repairs, and di not really want to sell it.

I believe i have this right, the way he acquired the cars was
He and a friend were into E39 M5's. His friend text him a pic of the E39NEX number plate. he replied saying, oh you are buying another m5. His friend replied saying, 2no there are two MR2's here i know you have been looking for some"
He went down found the cars and purchased them from an old boy who could no longer drive and had parked them up

Once home and repairs started, he did a search to see how much the E39 numberplate was worth, which then led him to my post asking where it is.

After many hours of chatting pictures etc, he could tell the car meant quite a bit to me and he did have two.
So a price was discussed, and agreed, for me to the find out he is in Durham, me in Kent. I no longer have a trailer. Luckily Shipley came to the rescue, by monday morning the car was on (a friends) drive way.

It got there just before me, the wife text to say it had arrived.
I admit now, i got quite emotional, i hadn't seen it for 20 years, It's my 40th this year, we said we would buy me a special car. I think this covers that!!

I am under no illusion, it needs a lot of work. A lot!!. It is being parked into Jackie's garage untill i have finished the mini.
It was amazing to see all the bits i had done still on it, worryingly the tyres have not been changed!
Some bits i hadn't done too. I was very pleased to see the gearknob still there. Even little bits like moving the alarm LED and Painting over surface rust under the bonnet..

Anyway.. here it is for now, tucked away in the garage until I finish off the mini (hopefully middle next year).. but I have it and that's all that matters
Cannot wait to start work on it

[pistol pete]

opps

[pistol pete]

oops

[Magic Beans]

Good write-up

I love how the world has come together to give a scenario where we both have rotten white Mk1's, in similar conditon and at the same time! IMOCs main source of posts for 2023 will be the two of us sharing photos of rust and bits of Mk1's!

[pistol pete]

Good write-up

I love how the world has come together to give a scenario where we both have rotten white Mk1's, in similar conditon and at the same time! IMOCs main source of posts for 2023 will be the two of us sharing photos of rust and bits of Mk1's!

Ha ha ha you are not wrong there. We will have all of the rust